Average two persons commit suicide a day in Tripura, highest suicide cases registered after 2013 assembly elections; youngsters the main victim out of frustration

Social insecurity and joblessness have already taken its toll for past four years in Tripura. As many as 2743 persons, mostly the youths committed suicide in the state between 2011 and 2014. The highest rate of suicide was registered in 2013 between February and December, soon after left front assumed power for 5^th consecutive term led by Manik Sarkar.

Reasons are not known why about two persons commit suicide in a day in Tripura, highest in the country in terms of population and geography. But it is obvious, somehow younger generation is not happy with the so called development, which are failed to satisfy their aspiration.

The discussion on alarming rate of suicide in Tripura has drawn the attention of assembly too during ongoing budget session. While opposition blames left front government’s policy action for high incidences of suicide, the state government accused growth of materialistic society beyond moral.

According to record as many as 703 persons commit suicide in 2011, almost two persons a day, in 2012 altogether 652 people, more than one person a day. The number rose to 732, more than two persons a day had committed suicide in the state in the year 2013.

However, the figure marginally came down in 2014 at 652. The ratio of men and women committing suicide were 50:50 as per police records. In terms of suicides Tripura holds the highest position in northeast and is 4^th in the country after Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

“If consider the population and geography, Tripura is top in the list. The state is having about 38 lakh populations residing in 4000 sqkm area. About 2040 people have committed suicide over the past three years; this is a dangerous trend but government did not take any step to identify the reasons of high rate of suicide,” alleged opposition legislator Ratan Lal Nath.

“In 2013, the youngsters desperately wanted to get rid of left front’s rule for better job opportunity and industrialization for all but it was not happened, which might be affected the mind of younger generation and forced them to committed suicide,” Nath opined.

Large scale, corruption, nepotism in every sector and detoriating quality of life is the reason of frustration among all age group. Many people, mostly the young generation left the state not only for job but also to lead respectable life and get equal opportunity.

Tripura born renowned doctors, engineers, business managers and service providers are well settled in outside; also want to contribute their home state for development but due to government’s failure, they are not coming. People of the state are deprived of getting their service and sufferings from political oppressions.       

He however, pointed out that the high rate of suicides needs to be studied seriously to combat it. Most of the cases were because of poverty, joblessness and social insecurity, which were solely the fall out of faulty plan and discrimination in policy implementation.

“Tripura does not have any industry or wider scope of business but even after 21 years in power, Manik Sarkar could not able to cut short the list of unemployment. As on date, about 18 percent of the total population and 60 percent of the educated youths are jobless in the state,” Nath alleged.

Moreover, many suicide cases in remote areas do not even come to police for recording as dead bodies are disposed of by families and relatives, Nath said demanding a full-fledged judicial commission of inquiry to go into the case of high suicide rates in Tripura.